Knee Pain
There are lots of causes of knee pain, and having sore knees is common, it isn't usually a sign of anything serious. Knee pain can range from a simple muscle strain, tendinitis or some kind of arthritis, sometimes you may not find the cause. As we get older knee pain becomes much more common along with your risk of getting some sort of pain. Knee pain may sometimes be the result of a sports or other injury, being overweight can also be a factor to to the load being placed on them.
Your knee is formed from 3 bones:
- Thigh bone or femur
- Shinbone or tibia
- Kneecap or patella
There are 4 main ligaments which hold the knee together and keep it in place:
- Collateral ligaments - found on the sides of the knee, they stabilize the sideways movements of the knee. The medial ligament is on the inside with the lateral being on the outside.
- Cruciate ligaments - found on the inside of the knee holding the tibia to the femur, they form an x shape and stop the forward/ back motion of the knee.
There are 2 types of cartilage in your knee:
- Articular cartilage covers the ends of your bones (Tibia and femur) and the back of the patella. Cartilage helps the joint run smoothly and stops the ends of the bones rubbing together.
- Meniscal cartilage are 2 wedged shaped pieces that act as shock absorbers between the joints, they also help stabilize. As with the collateral ligaments you have a medial and lateral one.
Some Common Causes of Knee Pain:
Sprain - A soft tissue injury to the ligament.
Strain - A soft tissue injury to the muscle.
Tendonitis - This is when a tendon swells up and becomes painful.
Patellofemoral pain - A common knee problem where you usually feel pain behind or around the kneecap. Pain is usually felt going down the stairs, running, squatting or sitting with flexed knees.
Exercises are usually given for this condition.
If you are suffering with any knee pain, call or contact to see how we can help you.